Forever Cursed
by ZDrive
Summary: "Calm down!" Red X practically screamed at her. "How can I calm down?" Raven demanded with a somewhat delusional, hysterical laugh. "I'm being hunted down by Rorek, my friends have turned to stone, I'm stuck in a book with you AND Malchior, and I have poison running through my veins as we speak, and I'm gonna die. Oh, ya! Totally calm!"
1. Chapter 1

**Heyy, new story! Gosh, I'm putting loads of pressure on me as the school year nears…oh well! First chap of new story! And veeeery short!**

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z**

Chapter 1:

**Long Time, No See**

Raven blew off some dust from the massive chest and stared at the lid. Designs were etched in, hand carved, and fairly lovely, but it was what was behind the chest that was important.

Raven took a breath and unlocked the latch.

Creak.

Silence.

Another breath. Inhale. Exhale. She lifted the lid, and it fell open willingly, the soft thud muted as it hit the edge of Raven's bed.

She peered into it and squinted. There, lying in a thin film of dust covering the pearly white cover of the thick, heavy book, was the prison of Malchior, the Dragon. **(A/N, forgot his title)**

She swallowed and gingerly reached in and caressed the edge of the border, face blank.

And then a voice, _his_ voice, so hauntingly familiar, so terribly beautiful, sweet and velvety, rose in the air and wound into her ears, bringing a flood of memories to her brain.

"Raven," he breathed, his light British accent like a painful caress to her healed, yet still cracked heart.

"Malchior," She muttered, voice cracking slightly. She took a shuddering breath and said grimly, "Long time, no see…"

She could almost hear him smile as she flipped to the page where ice blue eyes peered from torn pages and seemed to gaze through her own eyes and deep into her soul, scraping out every secret, every thought, every memory, and so much more.

"Indeed," he purred. His eyes blazed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Heyy! Review, and I no own! Also, Rorek's thought in** _itlalics._

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z**

Chapter 2:

**Why?**

Why?

That was not the only question on her tongue. There were a lot starting with 'why?'. But the most important one began with the inquiring word 'did'.

Did he regret it after she trapped him back in the wretched book? Did he regret using her, drowning her mind in his sugar-coated lies and smooth words, his rich, chocolate accent snuffing out all her senses? Did he regret dashing her heart to pieces as he turned on her, with a mocking warped voice and spitting flames?

No.

But that did not lessen the pain, instead it increased it. It was torture. Twisting and writhing inside of her, making her stomach roll with nausea and heart squeeze painfully, eyes burning with unshed tears at the corners, stinging her pride.

"Raven," he said again, his voice nearly melting her barriers to her still scarred heart.

She struggled internally as Rage spat and wrestled against her forbidden chains, roaring for a fight, while Timid wept, Courage swore, Happiness ceased to exist for the moment, and Knowledge fell silent.

"Malchior," she responded coldly, her face a plastered, expressionless. His eyes blinked up at her.

He sighed. "Raven," he repeated, but sounded tired. "I know sorry will not cut what I have done and what conspired because of my betrayal." He paused. "I know I have hurt you, beyond repare...but you must listen to me," there was a hint of pleading and hardness to his tone now. "I need to be released."

Raven snarled, a wave of fury crashing against the fragile bits of hurt deep in the depths of her heart from Malchior's betrayal, sweeping them away, consuming them, leaving nothing but a dark and hollow hole that ached with the mere thought of him. She suddenly remembered why she had opened his book. Not to ask questions, not to continue with the rest of the other seven stories that followed the battle between Malchior and Rorek, but to force him to end his pleas that reached her ears in the night.

It first occurred at least two months before now, in August, while Raven had prepared to slink into her silky purple sheets and rest her weary body from the previous beatings she had gotten from a frantic Johnny Rancid, as well as teleporting herself all over the city with her team mates as passengers to stop the sudden bout of crime activity from the broken remains of the HIVE, when he had suddenly shrieked. In shock, she had nearly rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a thump.

She had scrambled over to the old chest and demanded in so many cuss words what his problem was. He had begun to babble in a panicked, yet only slightly controlled voice, that she needed to release him that instant.

Raven responded dryly in a stream of sarcasm and began to crawl back to her bed when the chest thumped and shook as he practically roared. She had been shocked, to put it simply, with his sudden outburst of rage and desperation, and felt a little suspicious.

Ah, who was she kiddin'? She felt VERY suspicious.

For one, obviously, he never lost his head. Ever. In fear or anger. Especially fear. She remembered the first few nights after she had locked Malchior away in the book. His snarling, whispering, cursing her name. It hurt, but she pushed it away, going so far to even put a silencing charm on the chest. But then he had stopped. Abruptly. And then the activities of the Dooms Day Group had reared its ugly head and she had to face him once again. To face the pain.

Harold had helped her lock him back inside the book after the great war between good and evil. He sealed all cracks, wormholes, portals, and dimensions he could or had escaped by. In fact, he had escaped by being able to jump from book to book anywhere anytime.

Huh. Who would have figured?

So, they sealed off those gateways too.

She had to admit, she had started to grow fond of Harold, and went to visit him a couple of times after binding Malchior permanently to the cursed book. He had gone so far to even kiss her, which she had allowed, being that as her first official kiss. And the start of many more from him.

But they broke off the relationship. Why? Because it got in the way of their duties as Titans. She visited him still, of course, but less often.

And now, she wished wistfully that he was here with her, at her side, whispering encouraging words in his quiet, yet strong voice. That shook the fluff from her ears at the Dread Dragon's smooth and silky voice, and she hardened her heart.

"You need to shut up," she blurted out, bluntly. His eyes widened only to narrow just as quickly. "Now, and at night," she added sternly. "I can barely get any sleep with your idiotic ramblings. And you're either retarded or just really, really stupid to beg me to release you when you haven't told me why, or have you forgotten the first time?" She spat.

He hesitated. "He's awake," he replied steadily.

Raven blinked and stared. "Awake?" She echoed. "Who's awake?"

Silence.

Raven growled and glared at the pages. "Who's awake, dammit?!" She demanded, shaking the book. It didn't waver his line of sight but it certainly made her feel better, though a bit foolish. "Who are you so afraid of?" she hissed. His eyes glowerd at her but she didn't care anymore. She needed answers. "Who makes you so agitated? Who makes you so terrified you break down and plead for my help every night for two months straight?" She pressed her face closer to his paper eyes as they glared up at her with rage. "Who dissolves you into fear filled screams and reduces you to ask me, a lowly, silly girl whom you had tricked once, to help?" her voice rose a few notches, on the verge of hystericals. His eyes had begun to blaze now. "Who?" She shrieked, all rational thoughts out the window. "Who, Malchior?! W-?!"

"ROREK!" He bellowed, cutting her off.

Raven's throat strung tightly as iff pulled by strings, breath catching in her lungs like cold fishing hooks. Her heart shriveled as all anger drained away into only an empty feeling of numb, slight fear. She new, rationally, that she should feel terrified and skeptical, but now she felt cold and numb in shock. She should have been terrifed. But she felt nothing. For now, at least.

"Rorek," she breathed in disbelief, eyebrows shooting up.

He looked at the demoness with wariness and dread in his eyes. "Yes," he said darkly. "Rorek of Nol."

...

...

...

_I'm awake. I've been awake, but so have my powers, now, which seem to have been dormant since I awoke at least two months ago._

_How? The flare of another's power, just as strong, maybe stronger, has touched one of my...possesions._

_Now to be free of these chains...hmm...enchanted...of course, silly me..._

_Snap! Shatter!_

_Done. Easy enough, but I wish I could have simply melted them down...then again, that would have wasted precious energy...energy I need to approach this..._

_Apponant._

_Right. So, all I need to do now is pinpoint their location..._

_..._

_Good grief, it's Malchior! That cursed dragon...but how did it end up in the hands of another?_

_Details, details...I'll bother with that later and see if his owner is as powerful as I have expected him to be... but better to over estimate a new foe than to under estimate him..._

_Now, hopfully i won't have to surch for a longer period of time than i have already wasted in looking for a crack in my prison...let's see..._

_..._

_Hmm...a crack...here! A weak one, for sure, but nevertheless, an escape route. To other holes in other demensions, of course, but I will track the dragon's signature sucessfully._

_Malchior will be lucky if his new owner is powerful as he is merciful enough to him already...he has caused too much trouble for me..._

_And I shall end my "trouble"._

...

...

...

Silence.

Raven was used to silence, of course. She appreciated and savored every moment in silence. It became her escape, safe haven, and peaceful moment she didn't have to share with anyone else. And it was very rare for the Titan's Tower to be swallowed in silence.

But now she hated it. Loathed it, even.

It was thick, heavy, too hot, and stifling.

She needed to break through it.

"Rorek is dead, Malchior," she said firmly, brows drawing together. "How is he 'awake'?"

Malchior's eyes turned even graver, if that was possible. "He decided to preserve himself, pyhsically, mentally, and spiritually," he said. "He shut himself in a small, demension bubble, between a dreamscape and reality. There, he will stay until another power, stronger than his own magic and sorcery, comes in contact with something that was in his possesion." He paused and look up expectantly.

Raven took a deep breath and muttered, "Meaning me, as that greater source of power, and you as..." Her upper lip curled. "his possession."

"Yes," he grumbled, not at all liking the fact of being a possession. "But it takes him a while to fully wake up, actually."

Raven scoffed. "Meaning?" she inquired.

_"Meaning _though he is concious, his powers are dormant. But when they are revived, he can escape."

"So...when you screamed that night two months ago"-'I did not scream. There's a difference between yelling and screaming'-"you felt his consciousness flare up, therefore you panicked."

Malchior bristled. "I didn't panic," he spat (cue roll of eyes from Raven). "It caused me actual pain, silly girl. I never panic." He added in an idignant mumble.

"But...isn't he the good guy?"

Malchior gave Raven a dry look. "Like the Greek gods, if you have heard of their legends." Raven pursed her lips and nodded in understanding. So he was selfish and all powerful, right. But then again...should she trust this slimy dragon.

She dissmissed the thought. For now she would, only fully once she got the evidence, though.

"Males and their ego-issues," she muttered and cast Malchior's eyes a shrewd look. "So," she said aloud. "He's probably out and about by now, yes?" She blinked down at him.

If Malchior could have shrugged he would have. "It's possible," he replied. "And if not now, then soon. But it will still take him a bit longer to get here when he's constantly hopping from demension to demension."His eyes seemed to frown and darken. "Then he will kill both of us..."

Why kill me, she nearly asked, only to realize that if she had seemingly enough power to awaken Rorek, then he would see her as an obvious threat, especially with her coming in contact with Malchior and his book-like-thingie-sanctuary and release him.

Which she already did, but hey, everyone screws up over time sometimes, right?

Raven sighed and tilted her head back to stare blankly at the arched ceiling. "Of course," she whispered. She pressed her lips into a tight line and sighed agin, letting her eyes slide shut. She mulled over the serious situation in the brief few second of silence before openeing her wine-colored eyes and facing Malchior.

There was a hint of sadness and a four year old ache, before Trigon came at the age of fourteen, swirling in her eyes as she stared him down.

"So you never did regret it," she asked in a pained whisper.

Something flickered in his paper eyes, only to disappear and turn hard and cold.

"No," he said chillingly, and Raven forced herself not to flinch as another invisible dagger struck her heart dead center, though she should have expected it. "I only regret the loss." His eyes narrowed coldy at her and she swallowed before looking away.

"Okay," she chocked out. She stood, knees creaking from the length of time she had spent sitting on her knees, and hovered over the chest, shadow falling gracefully over it.

She shut the book with unneccesary force and dropped it in the hollow object, just as the alarm blared. She barely glanced at the flashing red gem on her cloak clasp as she let the chest's lid drop shut.

As she disappeared in a swirl of black power, Malchior whispered in the warm darkness of his confiments:

"I regret falling for you, as well."

**Longer than I expected, but hey, the longer the better...ahem, uh...for a story. Anyways (awkward) I hoped you enjoyed this chappy, and pleez, reveiws, anyone? Same for my other stories! Thx! And yes, Red X will come into this sooner or later and yes, spoiler alert, there will be a love triangle between Malchior, Raven, and Red X. And if I write another story containig Malchior and Rorek, they will both be good (or as good as good can get for Mal, duh!)**

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z ;{D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heyy! Review, and I no own! Also, Rorek's thought in** _itlalics._

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z**

Chapter 4:

**Plans**

"Na na na na boo boo, you can't catch the great Mumbo Jumbo!" A very high, very nasaly, annoying voice called out into the street.

That didn't even ryhme, Raven thought, splicing through the air as she searched for the enemy. Soon enough, she spotted him in the distance, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with a very livid Robin, with a bright red clown nose, scrambling behind him. The leader's wrist was tied with colorful hankerchifs which was connected with Beast Boy's own green wrist.

Said changeling's legs had turned into those of a blue finned fish.

Had she been not the most serious of Titans she would have giggled. The thing was, Raven didn't _giggle_.

With a quick wave of his wand, the blue-skinned maniac shrieked 'Abracadabra' and a long and thick boa constrictor fell from the air and hit the cement with a thud, stretched out in Robin's path. Unfortunatly, Robin didn't hit the brakes nearly as fast enough since his very own nose was obscuring his veiw of the ground and actually tripped over the scaly body. The startled snake didn't even hisitate to curl over and wrap its body around both Robin and Beast Boy and squeeze.

Raven prepared to dive and tear the reptile off her friends, but Starfire was there already. With green eyes beams, she shot a clear and accurate beam at the head of the snake. With a furious hiss of pain, it immedeatly uncoiled itself from the two Titans and snapped at the pretty alien.

Raven left by flying overhead, satisfied they were all pretty much safe, especially when Cyborg stepped in to drag an injured Beast Boy and swearing Robin away from the soaring green starbolts Starfire threw mercilessly at the giant reptile.

Pushing herself farther and faster, Raven narrowed her sights on Mumbo who had stopped on another building top, keeled over and panting. Whipping the sweat from his brow and touching his nose lightly with a smirk, he turned on his heels and strode to the side of the building. He bent his knees, wiggled his behind, and was about to jump off had Raven not touched down behind him and said in an extremely bored voice, "Stop."

Mumbo Jumbo jerked and spasmed spamotically from utter surprise, as if all had been quiet and Raven had screamed bloody murder at him. Finally regainig his composure, though not very impressive, he straightened and turned to stare cockily at her.

"Never!" he exclaimed. "You'll never catch the great and amazing, Mumbo J-ack!" He gagged suddenly when Raven merely wrapped him in dark magic, bounding him tightly. His wand was ripped from his blue skinny hands and held aloof from his body.

"How cliche," Raven said with a small sigh. "You are one sad, little man..."She paused and raised a brow. "I never knew your name was Jack."

Mumbo reddened. "It isn't," he cried. "You cut me off!"

"Yes, I did, actually, how observative of you, and I meant it sarcastically," she added, referring to other simple matter.

Mumbo grinned wickedly. "You'll never take me alive," he proclaimed. Raven snorted.

"Then I'll take you dead," said Raven and formed a long and sharp black glowing sowrd out of thin air.

She stood and listened to his blubbering, his screaming, and babbling, still feeling very bored. Honestly, he wasn't even smart enpugh to figure out that Raven, being a Titan who swore under a silent oath the moment she joined the society of heroism, could actually kill some citizen, even impossibly aggrivating ones who have a record of being idiots as well as villains.

Then again, he must be stupid. He kept up his charades and villainess acts. And was defeated every single time he came in contact with the Titans. If his constant failures didn't cause him to learn how idiotic he was being, nothing would. It was such sad, lonely life style and toatlly brainbless she almost felt sorry for him and the other criminals.

Almost.

And then she felt it. That cold chill, sliding its skeletal finger down her spine and the sound of a breath, cold and icy, breathed over her ear, so close to her face, too close, like someone was actually there behind her, invisible cold lips brushing her jaw like one would carress a fragile rose petal...she felt a heavy weight like hands falling on her shoulders and squeezing them.

...

...

...

_Beautiful._

...

...

...

"Great job, Rae," Cyborg's familier voice called, and the strange spell that left her head swimming and senses hazy was gone. Her eyes darted back to the villain still squirming in his black prison, eyes filled with anger, indocating that he indeed had not felt the air go suddenly freezing. She looked behind her, to where Starfie was half-dragging, half-carrying Robin and Beast Boy with their disabilities ("it will ware off soon tonight," Raven said gravely to which Robin cussed and Beast boy whimpered while Cy snickered and Star asked Robin innocently, 'Friend Robin, what exactly is a son of a b****?') as Cyborg walked over with a big, face splitting smile.

"I need to meditate," Raven blurted. She snapped Jumbo's wand in half, making him dissolve into a pitiful old man before dropping said elder and teleported away in a swirling portal of darkness.

At the same time, Robin tilited his head to the side in order to see past his nose to stare at the Raven's vacant spot in confusion, Cy gaped and blinked, Star hiummed and floated carefully over to inspect the criminal, and Beast Boy sobbed about being a fish and having to be Aquald's future bride because he looked like a girl.

...

...

...

_I want her. She's so..._

_...powerful. She could even sense my soul self, no matter how weak. I could practically tase her aura...delicious, actually..._

_Wonder how she would react to becoming a...hmm..._

_Sacrifice? No, no, a life source._

_For me, myself, and I, of course._

_..._

_..._

_..._

It was dark, quiet. A figure slid our from the shadows, walking with such grace and authority it almost looked like he was gliding in mid-air.

Soon enough, another figure, though more slender with strong and ropey muscles, with a black suit outlining his athletic swimmer's body perfectly, came sidling out from the darknesss from outside, creeping closer to the other. The new starger's walk was still gracefull, yet with deliberate power and skill, slightly rough, like a cheetah itching to break into a run, but, nevertheless, it was somehow patient, as if it could wait millenian to break out into a swift and furious sprint.

"Red-X," said the cold, yet familier voice of a bronze and black clad man with one dark brown eye peering secretly out from a single eyehole in his mask.

"Slade," relpied Red-X mockingly. He paused, eyeing the much older man warily. "What do you want?" He asked. "What's the job, and what's the pay?" His masked white eyes narrowed in suspision and seriousness.

A chucke. "You'll find out soon enough." Behind the mask, Slade smiled eerily. "Anyways, I want you to steal something for me. It's in the Titan's tower-" he raised a large hand to stop X from bursting into protests and claiming that was rediculous and crazy-"and it's a book." He hesitated. "In Raven's room." He almost sounded apologetic.

X sneered and scoffed, "Ya, right, old man." Like I'm gonna disturb the dark princess with a temper. Next thing I know, she'll probably be saying 'Off with his head!'"

Slade sighed. "1.5 million plus extra tune ups to your bike as a bonus," he grumbled.

X snapped to attention. "Then it's a done deal," he said, forgetting the danger that lied ahead of him. Behind the mask, his lips twisted into a smirk.

Besides...he was an adreniline0junkie with the word 'danger' as his middle name...

...what could happen?

**Sorry its sooo short, but I'll update soon on this and Accidental Fall. Ta-ta!**

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heyy! Review, and I no own! Also, Rorek's thought in** _itlalics._

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z**

Chapter 4:

**Magic and Xs**

Raven appeared in her room in a puddle of black, rising from the darkness like a goddess. Malchior felt the waves of power and irritation even before she huffed and collapsed on her bed, limbs sprawled.

"So..." he began tentavly. "How was the battle?"

Raven huffed. Rolling over on her stomach, head turned to the locked chest, she yawned and stretched. "Not the best," she mumbled, somewhat sleepily. "Robin has a clown nose and Beast Boy is half fish now." She rolled her eyes. "And...um...I have a question for you," she began to add awkwardly.

"Oh," Malchior's voice issued from the wooden chest.

When the silence started to grow slightly more awkward, the dragon cleared his throat. "What were you going to ask me?" He asked with such gentleness Raven frownded. Her heart tugged painfully. She had missed him. _So_ **damn _much_**.

"It was cold," she said, rolling over to her back. She stared blankly at the cieling. Her heart hurt, as well as her head. It was torture to talk to the man-no, dragon-that crushed her heart. Just when she allowed herself to feel, to be accepted...it all blew up in her face. A terrible lesson. Voice rough with unshed tears for this new onslaught of pain, she croaked, "It was like someone was behind me, and their lips...they were right next to my ear and breathing. His hands were like ice and on my shoulders." She stopped, tears threatening to spill.

_Just like yours were when you said you loved me the day before you betrayed me._

When Malchior spoke, oblivious to her pain for the moment, he said in a worried tone, "That's not good." He sounded nervous and Raven wanted to giggle. This was SO out of character for him. Nervous. She really did giggle this time. Ha, the fearless dragon that killed her on the inside is nervous.

"Raven?" He said tentavly, not used to her laughing. When she was quiet, he continud, if not warily.

"Anyways, this must be the symptomes of an out of demension communication. Only very powerful wizards are able to do this, but they must have a specific person in mind to contact. Meaning this was Rorek, and he meant to contact you."

Silence.

It was almost funny, now, Raven realized as she hated the new silence. Before this mess she loved the qiet. Before this mess she didn't feel cold beings contacting her and this crushing pain that was slowly tearing her apart. Before this mess, she didn't regret feeling. She relished in it, wallowed in the small percent of loose freedom for her emotions. But now she hated it. Loathed it all. It was just all too much. Her nose stinging, eyes burning, she rolled over on her side, curling into a small, tight ball, and let out a dry sob.

"Raven," said Malchior, on hearing her cry. His voice reached out to her, ignited a spark that quickly fanned into a flame of pure, barely contained rage as she screamed at him. "SHUT UP, MALCHIOR! SHUT UP! I HATE YOU!"

Her sobs turned into body racking sounds that shook her whole being.

And, for the first time in years, since she was only twelve years old (before meeting the Titans) and getting pushed away by her mother into a portal leading to a whole new world, when Arella didn't even glance at her twisted, fearful face, she broke down and cried.

And Malchior could only listen, hating himself, in complete and utter silence.

...

...

...

The sun glared from above and Rorek squinted hard. Finally. Free. A boy in a blue cloak, gold trumpet discared to the side, lay motionless behind him in the open portal above the bay waters.

Rorek took a deep breath, slowly stepping out of the portal. Instead of falling to the salty water, he hovered on a disk of white light. The portal colsed behind him.

Rorek looked around, a mirthless smile twisting his hidden lips. He had never thought that this earth would become so...disgusting.

The air reeked terribly of pullution, a clear sign of more to come, and the glass window panes on the towering buildings reflected the bright rays of sunlight, shining glaringly out across the water and forcing Rorek to blink hard to adjust his eyesight. It was obnoxious, and a bit sad to realize that the earth, the home of mankind, was withering away and only a small percentage of those who even tried to help care for it were reduced to small, and dwindeling, numbers.

But he would make it definitely better.

He had enough power to do anything. Soon, he would be God, he would be the one they bowed down and worshiped. He smiled.

But he knew it wasn't to be that easy.

His features crumpled into a thoughtful frown and he looked out across the waters, where a blazing tower of steel and iron and glass stood, tall and proud, on a small island.

The people in there, he knew, would not stand for that to happen, and so many more.

He'd heard of them, the legends of the new, young heroes, whispering through his dimension by mortals and so many others as he slept restlessly. The Titans, the Justice Leauge, the Avenegers, the X-Men, the wizard world across the seas in his homeland, where a boy name Harry Potter destroyed and saved all humanbity, Nick Fury and his crew, S.H.E.I.L.D., even the disgusting Voultri **(yes, they exist here as well)**...no, they would come together, no matter the distance or differences, they would come, and they would successfully stop him.

Unless...

Rorek's sharp, icy blue eyes wandered back to the tower, after staying behind him, and narrowed.

Unless their strongest members were...well...exterminated. Forever.

But their could be a positive affect against him if he did this, the wizard realized as he floated towards the giant, T shaped tower. They would breifly mourn their loss of precious life and return even stronger, more furious and vengeful than ever, not hesitating to tear into him. But he could taunt them of course, though for a peculiar reason highly doubted that would work. the only people he knew would give up would be the Voultri, after slaughtering their strongest members, but the Cullens and their allies might be a different story...

He would have to try it anyways.

...

...

...

Red-X scrambled into his apartment under the cover of shadows and slammed the door shut.

He let out a breath and slid down the door, putting his face in his hands. Goddamn, how scary can Slade get? He was already risking going out in daylight in his suit, but to have Sladebots trailing after him at the same time?! Fucking dip-shit.

Whipping off his gloves he cursed and stood, moving to the kitchen while stripping off his suit. He peeled off the top layer and checked for messages oin his house phone. None. He then turned to the mail slot. A few bills, here and there, nothing a little black market involement would take care of. He yawned, stretching and walked to his plain bedroom, paint peeling and filled with the scent of his clean and spicy cologne...or maybe that was just him.

He shrugged, pulling off the rest of his clothes and mask, before hopping into the shower. The hot water unwound the tight knots in his muscles and he sighed with content, shutting grey eyes as he leanded against the slippery white tiled wall. Tonight, he was supposed to sneak into one of the Titan's rooms and steal a spell book. _Raven's _room. The meanest, baddest, toughest, most powerful person in the Titan's groups, and she was pretty kick-ass no tolerance, too. He'd sooner steal Robin's underwear than mess with her.

But he couldn't do this mission, no matter how much he wanted to.

He needed those items. He needed that money. To continue his night duty...

...and to take care of Angeline.

He opened his eyes and stepped out of the shower quickly, nearly slipping on the floor. He needed to think, to prepair in case Slade backstabbed him or managed to find a little wormhole in their...contract. He walked out of the bathroom, throwing himself on the bed wearing nothing but grey sweatpants. He had four plane tickets to Australia. Had clothes packed in advanced. And emergancy kit, and all that stuff. He knew this place backwards and forwards with a blindfold over his eyes. He knew where his hidden knives were, his rifle "Saw", his suit...he ran his hands through his light brown, smooth and neat, yet spiky hair, causing it to hang down in his face even more, like scattered pineneedles.

He rolled over, reaching to turn the radio on. Almost immediatly, the song "Take A Bow" by Rihannah came on. For some reason, something in his chest twisted, like a certain, fluttery feeling, a kind of foreboding feeling that said:

_Careful...this might become de javu...or become real..._

He shook it away, hard. Thinking like that might come up later, but he wouldn't regret it. He never did, never would.

His chest twisted again.

...

...

...

Raven lied in her bed, dark covers a disseray. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn't sleeping. Her mind was at peace, no thoughts crossing her mind. Even her emotions were silent. This is what happened when you usually had a good cry, letting it all out of your system. You weren't wallowing in your misery, but you weren't rejoicing either. It was a neutral feeling. Still feeling, still calmly aware, but in peace.

She wished she could lay here forever. In silence, in darkness, in peace...

_BOOOOOOOM!_

Her eyes snapped open as the whole tower shook. The sound of Beast Boy's startled squwak could be heard from all the way from the common room. Her thin grey fingers clutched her covers in a death grip aas she shot up to a half sitting position.

"Raven...?" Malchior suddenly stuttered, voice muffled by the layers of oak.

Without thinking, head spinning as the feeling of absolute power and danger gripped her stomach, she scrambled off the bed and ripped open the chest with speed that would make Kid Flash turn green with jealousy, she pulled Malchior's book out of the dark confines of the chest and cradled it to her.

This was stupid. Suddenly holding onto Malchior for dear life...

...except it wasn't fear for her life.

Swallowing, Raven stood, tucked the protesting book underneath her arm and racing to the common room. The moment she arrived, she saw her teamates holding fighting positions, but then her eyes clashed with the coldest, iciest blue eyes she had ever encountered before. They were like endless tunnels drilled into glaciers. Ancient, powerful, lonely, cold. She was losing herself in their depths...

Her demon hissed.

She snapped out of her dazed state and held the book closer to her warm, curvy body.

"Who are you?" She demanded. Her whole spine shook when he never blinked or reverted his gaze.

"Rorek of Nol, knight and sorceror," he replied, calmly. Her stomach rolled, and Malchior's pages fluttered softly.

"And what are you here for?" Robin asked coldly. His face was as stoic as Raven's, which had become horror struck, and his voice was solid, firm. Unwavering.

"My memior," the ancient knight answered, taking a step closer. Starfire's eyes glowed a vivid green and he stopped. "the one that contains the Dread Dragon, Malchior."

"Him?!" Beast Boy spat. His skinny limbs, which had started taking on some ropey muscle, trembled. He snarled, enraged, at Rorek. "What are you going to do with him? Relase him? Because if you do, you'll only get so far as to try...over my dead body!" He barked out. He had grown feral, memories of Raven's pain flashing behind his eyelids every time he blinked. They ran deep in his veins, igniting the boiling snesation that was so familier, yet so distant and dangerous.

The Beast.

Raven teleported to his side and rested her hand on his taut neck. "It's okay, BB," she said quietly. "It's over now...Malchior cannot hurt any of you anymore."

Beast Boy's inner animal was soothes. It purred, cooing under the demonesses touch, but the human part of the green-skinned boy only inflammed faster. "Maybe not us," he said, pulling away from his friend. "But don't you remember what the bastard did to you?! He hurt you!"

His eyes were wild with anger. Rorek took the distraction to take another two steps forward. Cyborg growled under his breath and leveled his pulsing blue cannon to the stranger's chest. "Stop, right there." He said.

Starfire and Robin also tensed, until Rorek said, "Actually...I am here to destroy him. I had never expected him to be released. Or fall into the hands of such beautiful innocence as yourself, M'Lady," he said. He shuffled a few more steps forward, eyes on Raven, and no one made a move to stop him.

Raven bristled, his aura washing over her. Slick, a bit oily, like a deciever of silk. Deciever. Ha, this was quite turned around.

"You can't have him," she replied chillingly. She could feel Beast Boy's outrage and shock, including the others, but she focused soully on Rorek himself.

Big mistake. Rorek's eyes seemed to literally turn to ice so cold they burned at the very touch, like dry ice. And then it was gone.

"But, M'Lady," he said sympathetically. He was so close to her now, she could smell the scent of water and ice on him, wafting off his pale, pale white skin. "He is dangerous. He has hurt you deeply, from what I can tell. I know you think that holding onto him will make you find love again, or give you comfort of the past, and not just scars, you ae badly mistaken. If you just give it to me..." He trailed off, pain and sorrow in his eyes, plus regret. Raven shivered. He sounded so _honest, _but he was a con. She could already tell. His words were sweet and honeyed, but there was an underlayer of frost. And his aura was disturbing her, making her demon restless, but at the same time, it _yearned for him. _He was so strong, so powerful... a suitable mate. She was irritated and mad at herself for these forbidden thoughts, but couldn't stop them now. Carnal desire intertwined with rage, and she had never felt the urge to both kill and ride him to oblivian like this before.

"Shit," she whispered to herself. Rorek seemed to sense her inner turmoil and smirked, talking a deep breath from the nose as if to smell her lust, a spark in his eyes that promised pain and pleasure and her demon screamed to take him on...

The book at her side wriggled.

She hadn't realized her grip on it had loosened and her arm was stretched out towards Rorek before. Until now, that is.

Then she remembered. Malchior. The truth. Rorek was not the truth.

He took a step forward and she took a step back in return.

"I'm dangerous too," she said in the deadliest voice she could muster. She let her eyes glow red and snarled. "And let me just tell you...you don't want to be in the path of a demon, daughter of Trigon the Terrible, when you disagree with her."

Rorek's eyes narrowed, and his aura became sickeningly slick, so slick in fact she was afraid she might slip and fall into his eyes. Those cold, sharp, deadly glaciars.

He took a step forward again, so he was nearly nose to nose with her. "You-" He began, but shut his jaw with a snap when a long bo staff shot in front of his chest.

"Stop right there," said Robin. He was dead serious, and from the look on his masked face, furious at the seemingly threatening move towards his best friend. Starfire was by his side the next instant, and Beast Boy and Cy were ready behind him. His icy eyes zoomed this way and that, barely tilting his head. His posture was stiff, incredalous, and outraged. All of a sudden, as if a switch was flipped inside of him, he relaxed and laughed loosely. He leaned back on his heels, silver body armor gleaming in the filtering sunlight, highlighting how it fitted his slender body and the perfect way he wore his black body suit underneath the silver armor.

"I see," he murmured. He paused to look around again and nodded, as if satisfied with this sight.

"I shall leave now," he continued calmly, holding up his hands in a non-threatening movement, though Raven knew that he could simply flick them away like flies with a mere though or command spoken out loud.

But as gold-yellow light surrounded him, Raven's brain suddenly clicked on how he got here in the first place, and her eyes widened. "Wait!" She bulurted. "What did you do to Harold?!"

Rorek froze and looked at her, saying coldly just before the light overwhelmed him, "You mean the trumpet boy? Well, I had to do _something _with him...he is unconcious."

Raven saw only red before he disappeared in a blaze of gold light.

...

...

...

Raven threw Malchior's book down to the ground with uneccessary force. She heard him snarl and she snapped scathingly, "Oh. So now you decide to speak."

She sat at the edge of her bed and rubbed her forehead over the spot where a headache started to blossom. They had managed to contact a groggy, yet healthy Harold, so she felt better about that, but she didn't know where Rorek was. in a different dimension or somplace close to here. She rather not think about the second possability.

"I was afraid he would turn and twist my words into accusations to me if I spoke up," Malchior admitted, embarressed.

Raven rolled her eyes and commented sarcastically," Oh, of course, like you didn't do that."

Malchior's inky eyes somehow hardened. "If that's what you like to think," he said.

Raven blinked and scowled at him. "I don't like to think about it that way or anyway, idiot," she hissed.

"Then stop bringing it up," Malchior growled.

Raven laughed, but it quickly turned into a tired cough. "Fine," she wheezed. "It hurts anyways."

A snarl. "DO YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE IN PAIN?!" He roared.

Raven fell silent, startled. She didn't think about that, and now she wanted to face palm. Dammit.

She sighed and changed into a tight black sleevless shirt, black lace trimmed at the bottom and the straps, and finally yanked on her blue shorts. "I'm going to bed now," she seethed, trying to sound angry with him still, but probably failing. His book was shut tight, and it didn't stir in the slightest. She decided to leave him there on the rough carpeted floor. Served him right, she thought.

She closed her eyes and rested her head aginst her pillow, tumbling into blissful darkness.

...

...

...

He was in.

Not only in the Titan's tower, but he was standing right next to the sleeping form of Raven.

Now that he really looked at her, she looked kind of cute, all curled up...

_Shit!_

_Don't think about it, don't think about it dontthinkaboutit...!_

Red X cursed softly under his breath and crouched lowly, before he nearly tripped over a book. He sneered down at the white and cold, hard cover book and moved on.

His eyes, behind the blank white lenses, darted here and there. The stupid book could be anywhere. He only knew it was thin and scarlet, the cover made of stretched leather and the paper yellow. A Tome, was it? No beginning, no ending. Okay, whatever, that's good for spotting it, but first you gotta' find it! It could be in the cupboard, the chest, the book case (Duh!), heck, it could even be under the the bed. Or in the stacks of random books in the corners.

Or...

He looked at the book he tripped on and stared at it. Was it just him, or had it moved closer? Kneeling, he reached out and let it rest in his lap. Okay, so it was gold and white, but maybe, she could have hidden it in another book...

The moment he opened it, he knew it wasn't there.

Probably because angry, dark eyes, flaring scarlet, glared up at him.

"Theif!" It bellowed, eyes flashing scarlet again. Red X yelped as it lunged for him, calling the dark Titan's name, who quickly bolted up and gasped.

"X!" She hissed. She leapt out of bed in her scanty PJ's, and X would have admired this gorgeous sight had not her eyes glowed white and promised a painful death.

"Fuck!" He swore, dropping the book and stumbling to his feet. They faced off, criminal vs. hero, Red-X the thief vs. Raven the Titan. He was sure she would snap his neck in her fury when a low, icy chuckle rang out.

"Amusing," it commented. Both X and Raven whipped around. There, leaning in a dark, shaded corner, was a pretty boy, features feminine behind the scarf, in silver armor over a black bodysuit. His eyes...Jeez, they sent chills up X's back. They screamed DANGER! PREDATOR!

X didn't like being the prey.

Then the stranger's eyes hardened and he started forward, gorwling, "Now give me the book!"

"No!" Raven shot back.

The stranger lifted a hand and shot out a white burst of energy. Raven met it with her own, except it was black. Raven threw another bolt, which Rorek, as he circled her, dodged. It sent her door flying and smoking, raising the alarm.

"Enough," said the book softly, yet firmly, from where Red X had taken cover. He didn't have time to look at it quizzicly because it's pages flipped to a black and white picture of a small village, where clouds hung over it and sun stremaed from above, birds f;lying through the sky and vegitation surrounding them, including rolling grassy hills.

Raven managed to punch the stranger, nearly getting her head cut off by a swipe of his recently unsheathed sowrd, and he hit the wall, slumping to the floor. He was furious, but not unconcious. Red X didn't have time to watch because a tendril of red light wrapped around his waist. His body felt like it was being squeezed into a rubber tube, tight and suffocating, as he was sucked into the book. He clawed desperatly at the carpet, hearing Raven shriek as she was also being sucked into the book. The stranger stood there, leaning slightly against the wall, eyes blazing.

Red X spiralled in a dark void along with Raven, spinning wildly, before the pages ruffled and the book's cover flipped shut, glowing softly. Then it collapsed into itself and disappeared with a quick twist of gold and white.

Rorek glared at the spot the book had been, cursing without thought when he heard the Titans. The scorceror snarled and melted into a shadow, sliding against the walls, connecting to other shadows for cover as he fled the crime scene, down the halls, into the common room, connecting with a small shadow through the large, floor to ceiling windows, and diasappearing out into the night.

...

...

...

_Fine, Malchior..._

_...the hunt has begun._

**I'll update soon on this and on my new story. Plus, if you are wondering why I put all those people in their (besides Justice Leauge, Avengers, and S.H.I.E.L.D.) I thoiught it made sense that other powerful, supernatural forces existed too. Like Hogwarts. They may have been a different type of wizards who could only use wands containing magical substances, instead of just hands, thoughts, or words. And the Voultri, if you think about it, could exist secretly in the Teen Titan's world as well. The ultimate vampire council. So they can be real if Raven herself is real. The X-Men, too, because in their little world, the Justice League and S.H.I.E.L.D. exist. So why not TT and the others. Plus, their secret, so they might not know about each others existance anyways. Oh, also, pleez, if any of you have the titles to these four stories pleez, give them to me:**

**1) Robin/Raven, T, Southside Serpents vs. Northside Angels, and Raven makes/designes her own cars in it, too. She had moved from New York to Gotham to live with her aunt and uncle for a while, cuz she was casuing trouble with her dad after turning down a suitor rather rudelyIncomplete. (searched for it, can't find it)**

**2) Red X/Raven, T or M, something about racing, and it's not cimple's "Diamond Bulovard" Incomplete. Plus, when X and rae first meet, X was about to get jumped by Jinx's older bro cuz he slept with her. Rae was there and threatened them with a gun. **

**3) Robin/Raven, T or M, one shot, where Robin is with Starfire, and Cyborg says 'dude, she likes you' and Raven cuts herself at that moment when Robin walks in, and he says something like he 'regrets saving her from hell' and that's why he has the blue raven shaped bird on his chest.**

**4) Incomplete. X is a criminal and Raven (Rachel) and the Titans are a police force. She needs to get inside info, so she goes to the extremes by making Richard shoot her in the shoulder and getting torn up and stuff. She is on the streets and X finds her and takes her in. Rated T**

**So pleez, if you know which stories I am talking about, give me the titles, cuz I'm going crazy trying to find them!**

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z ;)**


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